Health ministry says mosquito-virus attack on Jamaica is imminent

The Health ministry says it is only a matter of time before chikungunya reaches Jamaica following detection of the mosquito-borne virus in nearby Haiti.

Earlier this month, the Caribbean Public Health Authority declared that the Chikungunya virus has reached epidemic proportions in the Caribbean.

The virus, carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, was first detected in the Caribbean in December last year in St Martin.

Last Sunday, the health ministry issued an advisory stating that the authorities have been taking the necessary precautions. However, since then, the virus has been detected in Haiti, which is 120 miles from Jamaica's nearest coastline.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Kevin Harvey says it is only a matter of time before chikungunya reaches Jamaica. He says the fight against chikungunya should benefit from anti-dengue efforts which usually start around this time of the year. Harvey says this is because the Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries chikungunya is the same one that carries dengue.

The Opposition Jamaica Labour Party says the Government must move urgently to allocate more money for the mosquito-control programme to reduce the risk of an outbreak of the virus in Jamaica.

Symptoms of chikungunya virus include high fever, headache, muscle pain, joint pain and a rash.

Infants and the elderly are at greater risk of contracting the virus.

The Pan-American Health Organisation has confirmed more than 4,100 cases of chikungunya in the Caribbean.

Most of the cases have been found in the French Caribbean islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe and St Martin.